


I still would like a chance

by Sneal



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, One Shot Collection, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, ash may have a tragic past but he'll have the brightest future, eiji is a cute boy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2020-07-28 19:01:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20068996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sneal/pseuds/Sneal
Summary: A series of au oneshots with Ash and Eiji, because canon is painful and I need them to be the happiest people in the universe.





	1. A blond guy at the library

**Author's Note:**

> These oneshots are random ideas and I wish I had the time and ability to develop them properly, but I don't trust myself that much so I thought that maybe you, yep, I'm talking to you reading this right now, are probably not as lazy as I am so feel free to consider the fics as prompts. If you like one of my ideas and you feel like you could write something else, well do it! There are just two rules here: credits to me and a happy ending to Ash and Eiji. So if you think you can develop the stories or if you feel inspirated by them, I'd be really happy to read yours because we need more and more BF's fics!  
If you're just here to read, well, I hope you'll enjoy it!  
English is not my first language, sorry for any mistakes!

Eiji liked the job at his university’s library. He could have chosen many other activities, join a club for example, but taking care of the library seemed an easy task that suited him. He liked helping people, he liked being surrounded by books, he liked the calm of that place.

Maybe his injury during high school led him to avoid any kind of sport club, he had no special skill besides pole vaulting and there wasn't any photography club which was a hobby he got recently. So the library looked like the only option.

After some time, he started to recognize some of the faces that would spend a lot of time in the library. There were people of all kind and he even managed to befriend a few of them.

But things took an unexpected turn when, at the beginning of his second year, he noticed a new guy. He noticed him the first moment he put his feet inside the library. He opened the door, a bag on his back, a white t-shirt and blond hair, almost blinding Eiji’s eyes with its brightness. He simply walked and approached the stairs that would bring him to the upper floors.

“He came also a couple of days ago when you were not here”, Cain said, startling Eiji who was following every step of the newcomer, “He seems really cool.”

Eiji didn’t really understand why his colleague was giving him that piece of information, “Do you know him?” he asked before he could stop himself.

Cain smiled mischievously, “I don’t. I just noticed him and since you were so shocked I thoug-”

“I’m not shocked, Cain.”

“He’s very handsome.”

“So what?” he asked annoyed.

“Alright, sorry, just joking.”

The blond guy came almost every day and stayed almost till the closure time. What hit Eiji, beside his blond hair, was the fact that he always came alone into the library. It was not that surprising, Eiji too thought that studying alone was more effective, but the fact that he spent all those hours alone gave Eiji an unpleasant feeling.

One day he finally seemed to acknowledge Eiji’s existence. A girl needed a chemistry book and Eiji’s job was to take it. The book was placed in the second floor. The book’s shelf was beside the table were the blond guy was studying. To say the truth, Eiji didn’t feel that confident at disturbing him, but it would have been childish to run away. He walked and approached the shelf, looking for the book. He was sure the guy turned his head to glance at him, but went immediately back to his notes.

The chemistry book had _obviously_ to be on the top. He sighed and thought for a second that it was better to go back and call Cain, the guy was huge and could get the book easily. But he could’ve just tried, just once, maybe if he tiptoed and extended his arm he could’ve reached-

From his left side he saw a white hand stretching into the air and grabbing the book he was trying so hard to reach. Eiji knew it was the blond guy, even if he hadn’t seen him or if he hadn’t heard him standing up and approaching him.

He had the insane idea to look up to his face and he met the most mesmerizing eyes he had ever seen in his life. They looked like two precious gems, shining under his blond bangs.

“Your book”, he even had a nice voice.

“Oh”, he had been staring, right? “Thank you.”

He simply nodded and went back to his chair.

Eiji stood there a couple of seconds, staring at the book. He had the desire to talk to him, to hear him, but he had no idea what he could talk about and surely he was already behaving like a creep since the blond guy just turned his green eyes at him, confusion on his face.

“The book”, Eiji said when he got downstairs to the girl; he went through the procedures to borrow the book, “Bring it back in two weeks.”

The girl thanked and walked away.

“You took your time”, Cain said.

“It was on the top shelf.”

“I know.”

Eiji raised his head and realized that you had a nice view from their point of view. He couldn’t spot the blond guy, but the shelf was at full display.

The following day, the blond guy opened the door and glanced at the reception. He looked at Eiji and nodded, Eiji smiled at him.

Since that day, every day, the blond guy would nod at him and Eiji would smile back, but he would never approach the reception and Eiji didn’t have the guts to go talk to him. He could only hope to have a reason to go in that part of the library. He waited patiently, and then the moment arrived.

“It’s second floor, shelf 18”, Cain said absentmindedly.

“I’ll go get him.”

“Eh, why? It’s my turn to-”

“Don’t worry, rest a bit”, he looked at the boy waiting for his book, “I’ll take it.”

He climbed the stairs and noticed the lump of blond hair. He walked straight there.

_I will talk. I will talk. I will talk-_

The blond guy turned his head back to look at who would walk that fast behind his back. Eiji felt the sudden need to go back downstairs and leave his job at the library, and maybe even the country, but he gathered his courage and kept walking straight.

“Sorry if I startled you”, he said, managing to have a calm voice, “I need a book.”

“You didn’t startle me”, the other said, sounding almost offended.

_Great_.

He was hoping the book would be at the top shelf, but no, it was comfortably put at hand’s reach.

“You’re lucky this time.”

It took a few seconds to Eiji to register what the other said. Was that… a joke? In any other moment he would have gotten offended, he hated when people pointed out the fact that he was shorter than most people or that he looked way younger. But that wasn’t any other moment.

“I am”, he answered, a sarcastic tone in his voice, “But I can assure you that I can reach every shelf with a little effort.”

The blond guy rested his head on his hand and looked at him with a grin, “Is that so?”

“It is”, he said.

They looked at each other in silence.

_Just talk about something, anything, please._

“You’re here almost every day”, Eiji blurted, hoping he wouldn’t sound like a stalker.

The other sounded surprised, “Oh, yeah. I like libraries.”

“Yeah, me too”, he said, clutching the book in his hands, “Why… why don’t you join us? I mean, if you like being here, you can work here, we always need new people.”

“Working?” his green eyes grew wider.

“I mean… maybe you’re not interested and actually it’s not a real job, it’s just an extra activity-”

_I don’t know why but I feel a pain in my chest when I see you sitting here, your head bent on your books, I don’t want you_ _to be always alone._

He wanted to say it, but he’d felt so stupid and it would be so embarrassing…

“Why are you telling me this?”

Eiji felt at loss, mouth dry opening helplessly, “I just… see you here every day… so I thought…” of course it was a mistake to ask him that, of course he would think it’s absolutely weird, of course-

“I’ll think about it”, the blond guy said, his lips curled in a soft smile.

Eiji found again his mouth empty, unable to formulate any kind of logic sentence. He was smiling and his brain was melting down.

“Uhm… c-could you give me your name? I need it… uhm… in order to- you know, the job…”

“Sure”, he grabbed a piece of paper and wrote something.

Eiji got it and he read his name, Ash Lynx and a numb- _God, was that his number?!_

Ash passed him another piece of paper and his pen, “Give me yours.”

That was probably the messiest writing he ever managed to pull out, but his hand was trembling, he was probably blushing like hell and he had his name, surname and number and he was going to give him the same information.

“Eiji”, Ash read, when he was handed the piece of paper.

He felt a shiver in his heart when he pronounced his name, he had such a nice voice. His train of thoughts was interrupted by a vibration in his trousers. He grabbed his phone and answered it without checking who was calling him.

“Hello-”

“You’re supposed to take a book, not flirting! Get here quickly!”

“I’m not flirt-” he squealed.

Eiji heard a quiet chuckle. He felt even more embarrassed but blessed by that soft sound.

“People can’t wait for you forever!” Cain snapped.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.”

He had the audacity to glance a last time to Ash, who was still giving him his full attention and wore a smug smile.

Eiji smiled shyly but feeling confident enough to talk a bit more, “Think about what we talked about.”

“Sure.”

“And if you have questions or doubts just call me.”

“Yeah.”

“Or send a text.”

“I’ll do that, Eiji.”

His name really was amazing on Ash’s lips.

“Well, I need to go, Ash.”

“Yes, see you.”

“Yea-”

His phone vibrated again and he mentally cursed it.

“Yes, Cain, I’m coming!” he hissed and run down the stairs.


	2. A dark haired guy on the train

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash meets a sleepy Eiji on a train

That was a boring, normal night. Ash was on the train that would have brought him back home. It was rather empty: a girl was looking at her smartphone with earphones on, a salary-man who looked sleepy, a group of young boys who were chatting.

In front of him, there was a guy who was standing near the doors. His fluffy hair covered half of his face and he was wearing a green coat. Ash sighed. He just wanted to lay down on his bed and sleep for the next three weeks.

The train started slowing down as it was approaching the following stop.

_Just three other stops and I’ll get to my bed._

It was a matter of seconds. The train stopped, the doors in front of him opened and he watched the guy who was standing nearby slowly slipping through them till he was on the ground. He was not simply standing. The idiot was leaning over them. A jolt of panic ran through his body.

No one noticed him falling down, nor Ash running outside of the train to check the guy. Did he faint? Was he sick?

“Hey, are you ok? Did you hit your head?”

The guy opened slightly his eyes and mumbled something.

“Can you hear me?”

He had brown eyes, looking at him as if he were an alien.

Ash heard a metallic sound behind his back. The doors closed and the train started moving again.

“The train is-”

The guy stood up suddenly as if he was finally revived, “What?” he stood up “Hey, hey, wait!”

“It’s useless, it won’t stop”, Ash said, looking at the few unsteady steps the guy took toward the train that was going away.

“But that was the last one.”

The train became smaller and smaller and disappeared.

“This sucks”, Ash sighed, “But are you ok?”

The boy ignored him and brought his hand in his black hair.

“I can’t believe it how could I fall asleep?”

“You fell asleep?”

He looked back at Ash, cheeks slightly red for his embarrassment.

“You slept while standing!”

“Well, I was supported by the doors actually”, he said, as if that was a good excuse.

“Aren’t you aware that doors open sometimes?”

“I know that, it’s not like I wanted to get asleep there”, he retorted, sounding a bit annoyed.

Ash glared at the guy. Was that how he thanked him for getting worried?

“And I thought you were feeling sick.”

The stranger froze and quickly softened his expression, “Ah, I’m sorry; you got out of the train for me…”

“It’s ok”, he answered, adverting his gaze because he didn’t really want to think too much that the stupid stranger was not only stupid but also very cute.

“So what now?” the stranger asked.

“We go somewhere in order to spend the night.”

Ash started walking toward the exit of the station and took his phone out of his pocket.

“Where are you going?”

Ash showed him his phone, “We’ll find a hotel.”

***

“I’m sorry, there is only a double room”, the concierge checked on his computer, “Is it ok?”

_If this isn’t the most banal cliché_.

“It’s ok”, Ash answered.

The stranger was bewildered, “Is it?”

Ash was as surprised as him, but he was sure, in a weird way, that sleeping with that unknown guy wouldn’t be that terrible, the back of his mind was also beginning to think that maybe that night he was very lucky. He shrugged, “I just want to rest.”

“I’m really sorry”, the boy said again when they got in the lift.

In that tiny lift he could look closely at his face. He’d never really liked dark colors, but that fluffy hair and those deep eyes were alluring.

“You said it fifteen times already, just stop.”

“But it weren’t for me…” he looked up at him with a worried face that touched Ash’s heart.

“Yes, but it is what it is, so stop worrying... unless”, he swallowed, “Unless the idea of spending some time with me is so horrible for you.”

The boy’s eyes grew bigger and he shook his head, “Of course not!” he said, with a bit too force, “I mean… I don’t mind”, his cheeks pinked a bit and Ash’s stupid heart decided to lose a beat.

The double bed was in the middle of the room, a yellow cover on it.

Ash dropped his bag on one of the chairs and noticed the guy getting undressed. He stopped when only his boxers and a shirt were left. He looked petite, but he was surprisingly well built. Ash forced away his eyes and undressed himself. He usually slept only with his underwear, but decided to keep his shirt on too, that guy was still a stranger he met not long ago and he didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

“You still haven’t told me your name.”

When Ash heard nothing in response, he turned around and saw him lying on the bed, sleeping silently.

He looked so beautiful with his black hair scattered on the white pillow.

“So you were really sleepy”, he murmured to himself half-smiling.

He wondered why he was that sleepy. Because of his job? Was he a student? Did he simply stay up late last night?

Ash lay beside him, careful not to wake him up.

“I’ll ask you tomorrow.”


	3. In the rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's raining and Eiji decides to help a hooded boy.

Eiji glanced the window of his office. It was pouring with rain and he hoped it could stop by the time he would leave.

At 7 pm his shift ended and it was raining even harder. He waited a few seconds in front the automatic doors, unwilling to get soaked. He checked the weather on his phone and read that it would be raining till the morning and he decided that it was a better idea to get soaked than sleeping in the hall of his workplace.

He sighed and walked toward the automatic doors. He quickly opened his umbrella.

_Just till my car._

His shoes were getting wet alongside the lower part of his body. He run and even risked to slip but luckily he managed to stay on his feet, his car was near and he took his key out of his pocket.

He was going to get into his car but he noticed a figure a bit ahead, a person with a hoodie and hands in the pockets.

“Ehi, you!” Eiji called the person without even thinking, “Do you need a lift?”

The guy raised his head, “A lift?”

Eiji got near him and placed his umbrella on his head too, “It’s raining a lot so I thought you need a lift. Where do you live?”

Eiji, being that close to the stranger, noticed he had pretty green eyes.

“I don’t think I have a house anymore, so really, don’t worry.”

He was moving to get out of the umbrella and walk away. Eiji didn’t know where he found the nerve to do it, but he stretched his arm and grasped one sleeve of his coat. It was rather childish as a gesture, like when his sister tried to get his attention by tugging his sleeve when they were younger.

“What?” the guy looked at him with his eyebrows furrowed.

“You can come to my house.”

They were both surprised by it. Eiji knew very well it wasn’t wise to let a stranger in his house and yet it slipped out of his mouth. He didn’t want to leave him alone in the rain and that feeling was so strong it prevailed over common sense.

“Are you a pervert?”

“Eh?” Eiji got his hand away from guy’s sleeve, bitterness in his heart. Did he give that impression? “No, I didn’t mean…”

The guy burst into a laugh, “I know, I know”, he got closer, putting his head under the umbrella, “Since you are this kind, I guess I can’t refuse.”

When they got into the car, Eiji started considering that the other guy was completely wet and was socking his seat. Eiji himself was pretty much drenched.

_Well, too bad. _

The guy removed his hood, revealing blond, thick hair, slightly damp. He was indeed a good-looking guy. Eiji might have stared a bit since the guy looked at him with a puzzled look on his face. He quickly turned his head and started the car, he didn’t want to seem like an actual creep.

When they got to Eiji’s house, a normal, banal apartment, the first problem was to find something that could suit the stranger, since he was slightly taller. He got an old big t-shirt he used to wear on summer-days and a pair of sweatpants. He gave him the clothes and showed him where the bath was in order to dry himself and get changed.

“Aren’t you afraid I can be a thief?” the guy asked when he got out of the bathroom.

“There is nothing worth to get stolen here, believe me”, he smiled, “Well, if you’re done I’m gonna have a shower.”

“Sure.”

He went in the bathroom leaving Ash alone into the living room. On the table, there was his phone. Somewhere there could be a computer, maybe a tablet or money.

In every house there is always something of value. But he was lucky since Ash was not a lousy thief.

He sat by the table. The shirt was indeed old and big even for him. He smelled it and smiled a bit. That was a terrible period. He had lost his job and couldn’t pay the rent of his flat. He was moving like crazy from bed to bed, first at his friends’, then he even tried to pick some guy up in order to have a roof on his head and a comfy bed under his back.

And yet that guy decided to help him even though they’re not friends, without asking anything back.

The guy popped out of the bathroom’s door, his black hair wet and the scent of the same soap he used before.

“I knew you were not a thief”, he smiled warmly moving away some strands stuck on his forehead.

_An angel has fallen from the sky to save me._

Ash hoped with all his heart he wasn't blushing, “Y-you should not trust people like that.”

“I have a sixth sense when it comes to these things. I knew I could trust you”, he walked near the table and sat beside Ash, “The same goes for you”, he added, “You should not trust people like that.”

Ash felt like he was being enveloped in his smile, like a warm cover in a rainy day, “You don’t look like a dangerous person.”

“What if I’m a killer?”

“Mmm, you’re not.”

He tilted his head, “How do you know?”

Ash poked at the space between his eyebrows before he could stop himself, “Your eyes are dark but very bright.”

The guy blushed a bit, “What has it to do with killers?”

“I’ve seen many eyes, but most of them are just… cold.”

_But yours look like a calm fire in a winter night._

He was surprised and his eyes were bigger, he stretched a hand; Ash grabbed it as if his life depended on it.

“I’m Eiji.”

“Ash.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yesterday was Ash's birthday and we all know he spent it in Izumo with Eiji, fight me ♥


	4. Was Shakespeare gay?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash studies English Literature with an international student.

The poke at his back didn’t startle Ash. Sitting behind him, during the lesson of English literature, was Eiji, a Japanese student who came to his university for a year. It was not like Ash really knew him, but he saw him around his university and ended up learning his name by pure chance.

“Excuse me”, Eiji said.

The idea that he was talking to him for the first time made Ash quite happy, he had to admit it.

Ash turned around, trying to sound the most neutral, “Yes?”

“I forgot the book for this lesson”, he smiled nervously, “Can I sit beside you and follow the lesson with your book?”

Indeed that was another _pure chance_ Ash was so grateful for.

“Of course.”

“Oh thank you.”

Ash noticed Eiji since the first moment and he thought that his hair looked nice and soft. He was a very observant person, but Ash’s ability to spot his hair everywhere was becoming a bit weird.

Then he noticed his voice. He spoke a good English, but his native accent wrapped it in an interesting way. His tone was steady, relaxed.

Now that he was sitting next to him, Ash discovered another detail that would never leave his memory. He had big, brown eyes that were sweetly looking at him.

It is said that Japanese people are cold around strangers, but stereotypes are probably made for the sake of being broken. Eiji was anything but cold. He was the quintessence of warmth, not very aware of personal space as he would lean very close to him without even noticing it and he would smile most of the times, saying sweet things or jokes.

They developed some kind of friendship and Eiji would sit beside him most of the times. Ash genuinely wondered why he would stay with him during the lessons. He could have befriended anyone, he was kind and funny, and everyone would have liked him. Sometimes he thought that maybe he pitied him and his loneliness, but he smiled so brightly and his eyes were so honest that he couldn’t imagine him having a secret reason like that.

Very soon, Eiji realized that Ash was smart and that got top marks at every exam and he asked him to help him studying.

Actually, Ash hated tutoring, he did that a couple of times for Shorter and it was a disaster, but maybe this time it would’ve worked differently. Well, Shorter was not that cute and his heart didn’t fasten up when he was near him.

Eiji was not a bad student; he just had some difficulties at reading Shakespeare’s English, but nothing that couldn’t be solved with a brief search on the internet. And yet he wanted to study with him.

One day they were studying Shakespeare’s sonnets in an empty classroom. Things were pretty normal, until Eiji asked a question out of the blue.

“Was Shakespeare gay?”

And that question left Ash dumbfounded.

Eiji asked it with a childish curiosity and Ash had to struggle so hard in order to keep from bursting into a laugh.

“He was probably bi”, he answered, trying to use his most serious tone, “Since he wrote poems dedicated to a man and a woman.”

Eiji looked a bit though his notes, “But most of them were for a man”, he said, pointing at one of his sheets where he wrote that information.

Ash nodded.

“This Fair Youth must have been very beautiful”, Eiji giggled.

“That’s how Shakespeare describes him.”

“I bet he would have written poems about you, if he had met you.”

Ash wondered if that was a compliment.

He smirked a bit, “Is that so?”

“Well, if I were Shakespeare”, Eiji said, looking into his eyes, “I would write a whole book of poetry just for you”, he simply smiled, his cheeks a bit red.

Ash couldn’t look at him anymore. His heart was making funny things. It’s not like he hadn’t lost a heartbeat before and it surely run faster whenever Eiji would get close to him, but that was like a whole orchestra just made of drummers was playing in his chest.

“What are you even saying?” he mumbled and he didn’t even noticed if he talked loud enough for him to hear. His heart was absorbing any other sound and he would be very surprised if Eiji didn’t notice his orchestra.

How could he say such words with that relaxed smile on his face? Eiji looked very innocent most of the times, but in certain moments, he would wear an amused smile and his eyes would look even deeper than usual, as if he knew something Ash was totally missing.

“Ah sorry, did- did that bother you?” Eiji’s voice was louder than his heartbeat, at least, “It’s not like I’ll actually write poems.”

Ash raised his eyes and he saw Eiji face palming, “I think… I think I said something very stupid.”

His hand was covering his face, but Ash could see his ears, completely red.

“It was actually very…” Ash tried his best to formulate a logic sentence. He didn’t want him to think he was offended.

“Creepy, isn’t it?” Eiji was spying him through the fissure between his fingers.

“No, no, I’d say nice.”

Eiji finally removed his hand, “Oh, nice.”

“Well, I don’t expect you to write poems-”

“Yes, yes, of course.”

They both averted their eyes and an awkward silence fell on them.

“So”, Eiji murmured, “We were saying, sonnet 18-”

“Tonight there is the inauguration of a new bar would you like to come?”

Ash asked that as quickly as possible. Maybe _that _was stupid, but he felt that if he hadn’t asked it in that moment he wouldn’t have never had the courage to do it again.

Eiji’s eyes were wide and his face was completely red, in a way Ash thought was impossible for humans.

“L-like a date?” Eiji asked, still shocked.

_A date?_

Ash didn’t know how to answer to it. It’s not like he explicitly asked for-

“Yes!” Eiji suddenly leaned on the table, almost scaring Ash, “I’d like to go on a date with you.”

_He’s… so close._

Ash cleared his voice, without success, “Yes… a date.”

“Oh Ash”, Eiji grabbed his hands enthusiastically, “I _saw_ you since the first second I got here and I spent so much time wondering how I could get near you. I know that I sound like a stalker, but I really felt I had to know you better.”

The orchestra came back, not just with drummers, all the other instruments joined, and someone decided to light several fires and stoves in his chest because now it was so loud and so warm.

“I’m really happy”, Eiji beamed.

“I’m happy too”, Ash smiled back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably one of my fav fics in this collection (am I even allowed to have a favorite of something I wrote myself?), I just like the awkwardness, I guess that whenever you talk to your crush you always end up in weird situations. Also, sonnet 18 is the famous “Shall I compare thee to a summer day…” and I think it suits Ash almost perfectly (also by _pure chance_ the sonnet is number _18_…).


	5. Yue's cafè pt.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's hot and Eiji gets into the first cafè he sees.

It was awfully hot, Eiji was sweating under the sun and dragging along the bag with his camera made the situation worse. He spotted a cafè and decided to enter, just for the sake of getting some air conditioning and a fresh drink.

As soon as he opened the door, he was blessed by a lovely cool air and Eiji thanked with all his heart whoever invented fans and air conditioners. He went to the cafè counter and was welcomed by an annoyed guy with long hair. He was caressing his black hair with one hand, while typing on his phone with the other.

“Hello”, Eiji said but he didn’t flinch at all.

“Hi!” he tried again.

The barman slowly raised his eyes, shooting the most annoyed look.

“What?” 

“Well, I’d like something to drink?”

“Is that a question? If you don’t know it yourself...”

_This bastard_

“Give me a tea”, he said, he was usually way kinder but the guy was getting on his nerves.

The guy raised his eyebrows.

“A cold tea. If that isn’t too hard on you.”

The barman rolled his eyes, but went to do his job.

Eiji sat at the first free table he saw.

“So annoying”, he muttered.

A chuckle came from his right.

What if a friend of the barman heard him? The barman looked like the kind of person who would hold a grudge for years for nothing.

He turned tentatively to look at the person who laughed.

“I didn’t mea-”

His sentence stopped. The barman disappeared and the fear of looking like a complete asshole was forgotten. His mouth was open, dry, no ability of forming any kind of logic thought, mind completely blank.

“Don’t worry, I agree with you.”

He spoke. He spoke! Eiji couldn’t remember what he agreed on.

Eiji nodded, “I agree… with you… too”, he would have agreed to anything he wanted, he was so happy they were agreeing on something.

“Here’s your tea.”

Was that hair real? It looked so fluffy and so bright; he wanted so much to caress it.

“Oi, dumbass, your tea!”

The annoying barman, that arrived without being noticed, touched his arm with the iced glass, almost making him jump out of his chair.

Eiji grabbed the tea without saying thanks and the barman went back to his activities, combing his hair and chatting at the counter.

When Eiji felt brave enough to look at his right, he noticed the stranger sitting right next to him.

_When did he move here?!_

He smiled nervously, “A-are you two friends?” Eiji asked, he didn’t want to be the asshole who offended one of his friends.

“Not at all, it’s the first time I come here.”

“Oh me too. I didn’t really mean to offend-”

“He’s a piece of shit”, he waved his hand in the air, “And I wanted to say it straight to his face, but here is so cool and outside so hot, I don’t want to get kicked out yet.”

“Yeah, outside is too hot.”

_Just like you._

He wanted to slap his brain for having that thought, ha was probably blushing too, he could be so obvious sometimes and he hated it.

“So, you said it’s the first time you come here?”

His question brought him back to reality.

“Yes, I was hanging around to take some photos, but staying outside for so long is too tiring.”

“Are you a photographer?” he asked, almost surprised.

“More or less, I’m working as an assistant right now.”

“What kind of photos did you take? I mean, there is not much in the nearby.”

“Eh? Why not?” Eiji puffed, “I believe there is beauty everywhere, but sometimes it’s just hidden.”

He looked at Eiji as if he wasn’t convinced by his words. Eiji grabbed his bag and took his camera. He sat closer to him and showed some of his photos.

He took a couple of pictures of little flowers, strain of grass that would grow up on the sidewalk, his favorites where the pictures where a piece of sky was showing, for example through the branches of a tree, or behind a building.

Usually Eiji didn’t feel comfortable with showing his photos, he didn’t like when people judged him and he hoped the guy wasn’t getting bored by watching something he wasn’t probably interesting in.

But he was so focused, looking serious at every photo as if he didn’t want to miss a single detail.

“I’ve always considered this building very ugly”, he spoke in a quiet voice, “But it looks different here”, he raised his eyes to look at Eiji.

“Probably it’s the perspective?”

“No, I wasn’t talking about that… it’s just you… I think”, he adverted his eyes and looked back at the picture. Eiji noticed he was embarrassed for some reason.

“It’s just me what?”

“The way you see things, you said it yourself, the hidden beauty or something like that.”

Eiji smiled, “Thank you.”

While he was still looking through his photos, an idea came into his mind.

“Can I take a photo of you?”

He raised his head suddenly, shock all over his face. Eiji regretted what he said.

“If you don’t want to, it’s totally fine.”

He looked like he was thinking deeply about it and after some time he nodded.

“You can.”

“Really?” Eiji felt his hands shaking as soon as he grabbed his camera.

“What kind of position should I-”

“Whatever you want! The most comfortable for you. It’s not like I can ask building or trees to move.”

He laughed a bit, “I’m not a building, I can move.”

“Then move in your favorite position.”

“Do I even have a favorite position?”

They both laughed, Eiji felt his heart filling with warmth.

Eiji got up from his seat, “Just… just stay like this.”

He stayed still, a smile still lingering on his lips, the light of the sun covering him like a sheet, burning his hair with gold.

Shivers run through Eiji’s body. He’d never felt like that while taking a picture. Usually he had fun, but it was never like receiving a revelation. He didn’t know what kind of revelation it was, but he knew his life changed in that instant and that nothing would be the same.

He was so beautiful, it was filling Eiji’s heart with so much tenderness and affection he didn’t know how to contain it. He felt scared and lucky at the same time.

He pushed the button, the image fixed in his camera and in his eyes. He moved the camera away and looked at him.

“So?” the guy said.

Eiji snapped out of his daydreaming, “D-do you want to see it?”

“Of course.”

He sat again beside him, giving him the camera. He couldn’t believe how strong his heart was beating, could he hear it?

He felt a vague scent of lavender, he didn’t know if it was his shampoo or his soap, but it was filling Eiji’s lungs.

“It’s not bad”, he said, “I guess you took the right light.”

“You’re…”

_Beautiful, so beautiful I can barely breathe._

“You’re the main part of this photo, surely the light is great, but I wanted to take you, not the light”, Eiji said, hoping he wouldn’t sound too much like a creep.

“You’re a great photographer”, he said, a soft blush appearing on his cheeks.

He wanted to take another photo, and another, and another, and make an exhibition just of his photos. He was going mad.

“Thank yo-”

Eiji’s phone suddenly rang. It was a long message from Ibe-san, asking him to bring his keys of the studio because he had lost them.

Eiji sighed and typed a quick answer, telling him he would be there soon.

“Problems?” the blond guy asked.

“Nothing bad, I just need to bring some keys.”

His thin eyebrows furrowed, “Oh, do you need to go now?”

Was he sad? Eiji’s hearts tightened.

“Yes, I need to.”

Eiji paid for his tea and looked one last time to the handsome guy, “Well, I’ll go.”

He nodded, showing a little smile, “See you.”

As soon as Eiji was out of the cafè, he was hit by the sun burning his skin. A weird thought was passing through his mind. He would go back to that cafè. He would bear the annoying barman just for the opportunity of seeing him another time. Even though the guy implied he didn’t like that cafè just like him, but maybe, maybe… he had a little hope that he felt the same interest. Eiji inspired deeply. Love at first sight with a random customer? So uncool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It started as a coffe shop au, but I wanted to be alternative and decided that Eiji and Ash would be custoumers of Yue's cafè and that they would bond over their common hate for him ♥  
There will be a second part, it was supposed to be just one chapter but it got so long I thought it was better to cut it into two.  
And lastly, university is back so my schedule is a bit of a mess, I'm sorry if it'll take me longer to update T_T  
Thanks for all your kind comments and kudos :)


	6. Yue's café pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash and Eiji want to meet again.

And Eiji did that. He came back daily, for almost a week, at the same hour. He dealt with that annoying bitch, spent a couple of hours sitting at a table, raising his head every time the door was opened. But he didn’t meet that guy.

At first Eiji hoped he was simply busy, but then he realized he had to accept the truth: there was no special connection with that handsome man. Of course, someone as amazing as him would never spare a look at person as plain as Eiji. He must have found funny the idea that someone shared the same hate for the barman and decided to join him for a little chat, just to spend some time. There was no hidden meaning behind it, no special feelings growing just because two pair of eyes met, no red thread linking their pinkies, no soul mates.

There was just Eiji waiting like a loser for someone who probably had already forgotten him.

He thought he may ask the barman if he saw the blond guy but like hell he would ask that bitch-

“Excuse-me”, Eiji found himself near the counter, trying to catch the attention of the barman, “Can I ask you if you saw a certain person?” he was such a loser, God, he hated himself.

The guy looked at him with an unreadable expression. He gained a name while Eiji spent almost a week in his bar, his name was Yue, not that he ever called him like that in his mind.

“Should I call the police? Are you a stalker?”

“I’m not-”

“You want to know if Ash came here to look for you?”

“Who is Ash?”

“Wait, you don't know his name?”

Eiji couldn’t understand what he was talking about but then something linked in his brain.

“Is Ash the name of the handsome person?”

Yue sighed.

“How do you know it?” Eiji asked.

Oh my God, were they really friends? Well, he said they weren’t, but what if he was joking around and making fun of him?

“I used my mouth and did what people do: I asked him”, answered Yue.

“Are you two friends?” Eiji murmured.

Yue looked disgusted, “Do not insult me, idiot. I barely know him, he’s unbearable and rude.”

“Then-”

“Wait, so you don’t know anything about him? No name, no number, nothing?”

Eiji shook his head, feeling almost on the verge of crying.

“You were explicitly flirting with each other and none of you asked anything? You are dumbasses.”

“I know”.

“So this means poor kid had the same idea as you and he’s hopelessly waiting for his knight in shining armor to come in the evening.”

Eiji’s heart made a high jump in his chest, higher than what he ever jumped with his pole.

“A-are you kidding me?”

Yue looked at him with a horrified expression, “Your face is so disgusting, I can’t stand you anymore”, he caressed his ponytail, “Why should I lie?” he added.

“Then why didn’t you tell me before? You saw me here waiting…”

“How could I know that you were waiting for each other if you didn’t say anything?”

He should have come sooner to ask Yue, “At what time in the evening does he usually come?”

“At 8, but- hey, wait! I don’t want you to meet here! Find another place!”

Eiji rushed outside, feeling so light and happy he thought he could fly.

***

Ash took a quick shower and sat on his couch. The almost-photographer was surely thinking he was an asshole. And of course, he was right.

He was a trainer at a gym and his colleague begged him to cover his shifts in the morning because she had some papers due soon for her university. He said yes, of course and there wouldn’t have been a single thing wrong in the situation, except for the fact that he was an idiot. Instead of asking him any information, -his name at least, goddamit!-, or telling him that he would be working and he wouldn’t be able to be there until the evening, he said nothing.

He got up, grabbing his keys. He knew he was being irrational and that there was no hope, but he had to go back to that bar. He couldn’t even understand what was wrong with him, why he was so hung up over a person he simply shared a couple of words with; Ash had never been the kind of person who falls easily for a random boy.

When he arrived to the bar he was prepared to spend a couple of hours alone. Being alone never bothered him, normally it was his favorite part of the day, when he could be just with himself and with a good book. However, being alone in that bar felt like torture. He opened the door of the bar and looked at his usual spot; no one was there and walked straight to sit and get properly depressed over his little crush.

“Ash.”

A voice called his name. His heart started beating like crazy. Couldn’t it be… it can’t be, right?

He turned and spotted _him_, sitting at another table.

_It can’t be._

“I’ve been waiting for so long, if I had knew it was just a problem of timetable-”

Ash approached him and took him into his arms. He was so warm and soft, he felt like he wanted to cry for no reason, it was so stupid.

After a couple of seconds he realized that hugging who was technically still a stranger was be pretty weird, Ash himself would feel disgusted if someone did that to him, so he stepped back quickly.

“I’m sorry”, he mumbled, looking at his feet.

“I don’t mind, I told you I’ve been waiting for you.”

He raised his eyes and he met the sweetest and brightest smile he’d ever seen in his life. He was fucked up, he was_ so_ fucked up.

“Should we sit?” he asked, because he felt his legs were melting.

Ash felt so nervous and happy, he barely knew what to say, “You said you were waiting for me?”

“Oh wait”, Eiji said taking his phone out, “Before anything else, give me your phone number so we won’t lose each other again.”

Ash looked at him surprised and Eiji’s smile got smaller, “If you want of course.”

“Oh, yes, I want it! Here, write your number”, he took his own phone and passed it to Eiji, “And I’ll write mine on yours. Oh and by the way, what's your name?”

"I'm Eiji", he beamed.

He never heard a name like that and it sounded just perfect, "Eiji."

They were still writing on their phones when someone placed two cup of coffee on their table. Eiji raised his head, “We didn’t order anything yet.”

“I know”, Yue answered, “It’s on the house if you leave in ten minutes. I’ve never liked rom-com and I don’t want to see one in real life.”

When he finished he turned back, his hair almost slapped Eiji.

“What’s wrong with him?” Ash asked, staring annoyed at his back.

“Maybe he’s nice deep down.”

“What?”

“Well he gave us coffee and he told me your name”, he smiled, taking the cup in his hand.

He was so sweet and so pure; the only person who could think a snake could be nice-

“Unless he poisoned it”, Eiji had his cup near his mouth, looking at it with a furrow.

They both laughed and drank the coffee. 

They cleared up the misunderstaing, talked a lot and enjoyed the starry sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow it's been so long, but finally I managed to post another chapter yay!!!  
I fangirled a lot over the calendar made by mappa, I really wanted to buy it but it's sold out everywhere ;_; Anyway the sketches are so cute and lovely, we were truly blessed ♥   
I hope everyone is alright and enjoying the holidays^^ I wish you a great and happy new year^^


End file.
